A significant number of children at risk do not receive the support they need to recover from living with violence.
DV Victoria, Victoria’s peak body for family violence, in partnership with other organisations, is campaigning for more resources to support these children – making domestic violence a State Election issue.
Problem: Child protection at capacity in Victoria
The Victorian Ombudsman’s investigation into the DHS Child Protection Program revealed a child protection system at the limits of capacity.
Domestic Violence Victoria chief executive Fiona McCormack said family violence was a problem for the whole state, costing $3.4 billion a year and leaving many children traumatised for years. She said one in four children had witnessed violence against a parent, but a staggering two out of three children seeking housing support were being turned away because the system was stretched to the limit.
”Some metropolitan areas are recording waiting lists of up to three months,” Ms McCormack said. ”We simply don’t have the resources to deal with them.”
Solutions
1. Coordinated services
The significant overlap between child protection and other sectors such as family violence, mental health, disability and drug and alcohol means we need coordinated and integrated service responses to children.
2. Twenty new positions
Domestic Violence Victoria wants the funding and establishment 20 new positions across the state to ensure that waiting times are cut to no more than one month for DHS Child Protection Program.
3. Double funding for family violence counselling
Domestic Violence Victoria seeks a doubling of current expenditure for children’s family violence counselling.
Letterbox campaign on marginal seats
The letterbox campaign of the flyer below will target a range of vulnerable electorates, including the
- Labor seats of Richmond (held by Housing Minister Richard Wynne)
- Bendigo East (held by Regional Services Minister Jacinta Allan) and,
- the Coalition seats of Bayswater, Narracan and Morwell.
Tell your MP or candidate
Let your local MP or Candidate know that you support better recovery support services for children affected by family violence.
Letterbox election flyer
Download No child in need should be turned away flyer. Contact DV Victoria for copies.
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